John a



(-No Model.)

J. A. STEURER.

BICYCLE VALVE.

No. 588,884. Patented Aug. 177, 1897.`

ATTORNEYS STATES JOHN A. STEURER, OF NEW YORK., N. Y.

BICYCLE-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,364, dated August17, 189'?. l Application filed May 14, 1897. Serial No. 636,531. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. STEURER, a resident of the city, county,andState o f New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bicycle-Valves, of'which the following is a specification.`

My invention relates to closures forlvalvestems, and has referencemoreparticularly to efficiently closing the stems'of valves used withpneumatic wheel-tires. Y

To this end my invention consists in the construction hereinafter setforth and claimed.

My invention will be understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawingsjn which- Figure l is a central verticaly section of a valveapparatus embodying my" invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view ofthe cap. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the valve. Fig. 4t is aface view of the portion of the valve which comes against thevalve-seat; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged central vertical section similarto the section shown in Fig.1l,bu t illustratin g the parts on anenlarged scaleto more `clearly bring out the invention.

Heretofore caps for bicycle-tire valves have been provided with a rubberfacing inside, which is rigid therewith, and consequently when the capis turned rotates with the cap,

and is thereby cut and -worn to such an` eX- tent as to rapidlydeteriorate, so thatafter a short season of use the cap becomesvalueless to seal the valve and is especially dangerous to use by reasonof the fact that whenl the valve-seat comes into the rubber, the rubber,when the cap is screwed down, extends, so far into the valve-seat as totouch the rod or stem which operates the inner valve, so

that the tires so provided with these defective valve-caps become aftera short time very insecurely sealed, thereby leaking rapidly. My

invention is designed to obviate these defects by providing the cap witha loosely-fitting removable valve which will not turn withthe cap whenthe same is screwed down, and con-W sequently will not cut or wear awayto such an `extent as to render it leaky or bring it in contact with thestem of the inner valve.

In the drawings, a is the ordinary tube or hollow stein leading from thepneumatic tire, and is provided with the usual seat b and screw-threadc.

'd is the cap, which is provided with a screwthread e and above thetopmost screw-thread is enlarged laterally to form an enlarged chamber fin which the valve can freely oscillate. The cap is pierced at the topwith an aperture g for the passage of the valvestem. Y g

The valve is shown as consisting of a head h, faced with a soft packingt of caoutchouc or other material and provided with arearwardly-extending stem j, whose end 7c is preferably milled. The headh with its facing of rubber is of considerably less diameter than thediameter of the recess or chamber f, leaving small spaces Z between itsedge and the inner face of the wall of the chamber f. The head and itsfacing are, however, small enough to pass through the portion of the capwherein the screw-threads e are formed and are preferably'made, asshown, of just sufficient size for the rubber when it has been wellseated by pressure to frictionally engage the lands of the screw-thread,so that when it is desired to remove the valve to replace it with rubberit can be readily done by forcing it downward through the cap and ,atthe same time turning it so as to engage the rubber with thescrew-thread, thus screwing it out.

When the valve is in place in the head, the cap may be removed, and byreason of the fact that the uppermost screw-thread forms a sort of ledgethe valve will not fall out of the cap and the cap maybe shaken about ordropped or otherwise handled without ejecting the said valve from thecap, the most elicient means of taking out the valve being to seize thestem, press the stem downward, 'and at the same time rotate it, so thatthe rubber will engage the screw-thread and thus screw the valve out ofthe cap.

With valves constructed as described and shown'it is wholly unnecessaryto provide any other means for retaining the valve in the cap than theslight ledge afforded by the screw-threads, and consequently aconsiderable space may be left around the valve-stem, between thevalve-stem and the sides of the aperture g, so that the valve may freelyvibrate in the head and will be thereby more apt to catch on the ledge.

Vhen it is desired to close the tube or stem v a after pumping airtherein, the cap is placed upon the said stein and screwed down, and assoon as the facing of the valve cornes against the valve-seat the valvewill remain stationary, and the head being turned will bear the valvedown irinly upon its seat, thereby sealing the stein.

I ain aware that it is not new to provide a valve-cap with an enlargedrecess above the screw-threads, as such a structure is shown in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 555,66a, dated March 3, 1896. I am likewiseaware that it is not broadly new to provide a valvestein with a capcontaining a faced valve which is secured therein by forming a shoulderon its stem, as such a structure is shown in Letters Patent No. 555,665,dated March 3, 1896. I ain likewise aware that it is not new to providea valve-cap with a reciprocating valve secured in place by a nut on thestein, as such a structure is shown in United States Letters Patent No.575,817, dated January 26,1897, and consequently I do not claim suchstructures, but

lVhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for sealinghollow valvestelns, the combination of acap for engaging the said stein provided with an internal ledge and anaperture, of a valve located in the said cap above the ledge andprovided with a stern extending' through the aperture, the said valvebeing freely movable in the said cap and being wholly unsupportedtherein save by the ledge aforesaid, substantially as dcscribed.

2. In an apparatus for sealing valve-stems, the combination of a capprovided with means for engaging the stem, and provided with a ledge andaperture, of a valve located in the cap and provided with a stemextending through the aperture, the said valve being freely rotatableand vibratable in the said head and sufiiciently small to pass throughthe head at the place where the ledge is located and being whollyunsupported in the said cap save by iinpingement upon the said ledge.

3. In a means for sealing valve-stems, the combination of a cap providedwith screwthreads for engaging the valve-stems and with a recess abovethe screw-threads of greater diameter than the internal bore of the capwhere it is screw-threaded, and a valve freely movable in the said headand wholly unsupported therein except when it iinpinges against thescrew-threads.

JOHBT A. STEURER. lVitnesses:

Guo. E. MORSE, MAURICE BLOCK.

